The short answer
If you want the best free tool for identifying any bird, anywhere, by sight or by sound, get Merlin Bird ID. If you want birding to feel like a collection game, with a dex to fill, rarities to chase, streaks to protect, and friends to beat, get Absolutely Flocked. They solve different problems, and a lot of people will be happiest running both.
What Merlin is
Merlin Bird ID is a free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for iPhone and Android. It identifies birds by photo, by sound, or by answering a few quick questions about what you saw. Its listing says it's powered by eBird sightings data and trained on millions of photos and recordings from Cornell's Macaulay Library.
The headline features, per Cornell's own descriptions:
- Sound ID: record a singing bird and Merlin lists the species it hears. Cornell's help center says it covers 2,000+ species, including most birds of the US, Canada and Europe, and works offline.
- Photo ID: snap or upload a photo and get a match.
- Bird packs: download a region's birds (photos, sounds, ID tips) to use offline. Packs cover the world's 10,000+ bird species.
- Price: free, with no subscription.
That's a genuinely great deal, and we're not going to pretend otherwise.
What Absolutely Flocked is
Absolutely Flocked is a bird identification app built like a game. You photograph a bird, our AI identifies it in seconds, and the species drops into your regional dex: a grid of silhouettes for every bird recorded around you that lights up as you catch them. Then the Duolingo-with-feathers part kicks in.
- A collection dex: your local birds start as locked silhouettes. Catch one and its card unlocks.
- Rarity tiers: every species is Common, Uncommon, Rare or Legendary, based on how widespread it is in your area.
- Points and seasons: lifers, new species and rare finds earn points on a seasonal leaderboard that resets at each solstice and equinox.
- Streaks, friends and achievements: daily streaks, ~40 badges (some hidden and frankly unhinged), and friends you add by QR code or a 6-character code.
- Honest close calls: when a photo could be one of a few look-alikes, we show you the top candidates instead of bluffing.
Photo ID is free, always. The optional Flock Pass ($2.99/month or $24.99/year, both with a 7-day free trial) unlocks full cards for rare birds, field notes, reference songs and calls, a recent-nearby-sightings feed, and a bigger friends list.
Side by side
Here's the factual comparison. Where Merlin wins, the table says so.
| Feature | Merlin Bird ID | Absolutely Flocked |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no subscription | Free; optional Flock Pass $2.99/mo or $24.99/yr (7-day trial) |
| Photo ID | Yes | Yes, free; shows top candidates on close calls |
| Sound ID | Yes, 2,000+ species, works offline | No (Flock Pass cards include reference songs/calls to listen to, but we can't ID a recording) |
| Describe-what-you-saw ID | Yes | No |
| Offline use | Yes, via downloadable bird packs | No, needs a connection |
| Coverage | Worldwide (10,000+ species in bird packs) | US & Canada only |
| Collection dex with locked silhouettes | Not listed | Yes, built per county/region |
| Rarity tiers | Not listed | Common / Uncommon / Rare / Legendary |
| Leaderboards, points, seasons | Not listed | Regional, seasonal and friends boards |
| Streaks & achievements | Not listed | Daily streaks, ~40 badges |
| Platforms | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Made by | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Extra Bandwidth LLC |
"Not listed" = not a feature in Merlin's official app listing or help pages as of October 2026. Merlin is built as an identification tool and field guide, not a game.
Where Merlin is better
Merlin is better at pure identification breadth. It's free with no subscription, it can name a bird you only heard, it works offline in the backcountry, it covers birds worldwide, and it's built on decades of Cornell Lab expertise. If you're traveling abroad, birding by ear, or heading somewhere with no signal, Merlin is the right tool and we're not close.
Where Absolutely Flocked is different
Absolutely Flocked is built to make you want to go outside again tomorrow. Identifying a bird is the start, not the finish: it fills a silhouette, maybe breaks a rarity, nudges your streak, and moves you up a leaderboard your friends can see. It's backyard-first and aimed at people who aren't birders yet. The voice is loud on purpose: think less field guide, more group chat.
The trade-offs are real: we're photo-only, online-only, and US & Canada only. If those are dealbreakers, that's a fair call.
Which should you get?
Pick based on what you actually want out of birding:
- Get Merlin if you want one free app that identifies the most birds in the most ways, you bird by ear, you travel outside North America, or you need offline ID.
- Get Absolutely Flocked if you're in the US or Canada, you like collecting things, and you'd bird more if there were points, streaks and a friend to beat.
- Get both if you're somewhere in between. Seriously.
The honest move: use both
Using both is a perfectly good setup, and it costs nothing to try. Use Merlin's Sound ID when something's singing in a tree you can't see, then grab a photo when it pops out and catch it in Absolutely Flocked for the points. One app is your reference shelf; the other is your trophy case. No rule says you only get one.
Want the wider view? See our roundup of the best bird identification apps for beginners.
Go on. Get flocked.
Free photo ID, a dex full of silhouettes, and a leaderboard with your name on it. Available on iPhone and Android in the US & Canada.
Merlin Bird ID and eBird are products of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Absolutely Flocked is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with the Cornell Lab. Competitor details were checked against official app listings and help pages in October 2026 and may change.
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